Saturday’s final of the The Epic Hero Leger Winner 2020 Sweepstake at the Limerick Track on this will be the main focus of attention for Greyhound people this weekend.
Clare will be well represented with three runners in the line up. Paradise Mozart owned by Sean Meade of Miltown Malbay a heat winner in the semi-final looks to be a greyhound who is improving with every run and is sure to be in the shake up. Boyhero trained by Páraic Campion has strong Clare connections in the guise of Tommy Hegarty and Seanie McMahon but Bling Bling Paul owned by John Meehan of Newmarket-on-Fergus is tipped to bounce back and claim the title. Meehan’s young dog could only manage to fill third position last week-end after breaking poorly.
The quarter-finals of the Paul McKenna Memorial A5 575 Yards Stake formed the backbone of last Saturday nights card at Galway Greyhound Stadium. All eyes online were on the Mullins-Curtin Syndicate of Gort owned Kiss An Angel in the opening quarter-final and the litter sister of Miss Joss and Dana Point certainly did not disappoint as she routed her rivals by upwards of twelve lengths in 31.68.
Flyers Job owned by Kilrush duo Colm Fitzgerald and Cathal Meaney claimed the third quarter-final. The winner led at halfway before drawing clear to defeat reserve Merciful Grace by seven lengths in a time 32.12.
In the A2 graded sixth contest over 525 yards, the John Collins and John Browne of Ballyea owned Rathmeehan May but up a fine performance as she made most of the running to defeat Office Bar by four and a half lengths in 29.14.
Death of Christy Kelly:
All in greyhound racing reacted with sadness to the death of Mullagh’s Christy Kelly last weekend. Christy who was in his ninety second year was predeceased by his wife Claire,
Coming from Mullagh an area with a strong tradition in coursing and track racing, the trip to Clonmel for the annual meeting was one he really looked forward to.
Christy was involved in the dogs from a very young age, Over the years he would keep a bitch for breeding, rear a litter of pups train and race them under the Finure Prefix.About two years ago he decided to purchase a greyhound together with his niece Marie and neighbour Gerard Sexton, they would form a syndicate to be known as the Finure Syndicate, the Greyhound was named Finure Storm and put into training with a long time friend of Christy’s, Denis P O Malley in Limerick.
The syndicate had an eventful journey with Finure Storm, he was won twelve races with his most recent coming last Thursday night in Limerick. It was a win of mixed emotions for all involved with the greyhound with Christy’s funeral the following day.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions a private funeral mass for family only was celebrated on Friday in St Mary’s Church Mullagh by Fr Donagh O Mara assisted by Fr Tom Ryan. He is survived by his daughters Pat, Claire & Geraldine, son John, daughter-in-law Loretto, grandchildren, Shane and David Kavanagh, Niamh, James and Sean Kelly, brother Timmy, sisters in law, nephews, nieces, grand nephew & grand nieces, neighbours & many friends.
